Exodus 13-15, Psalm 28, Matthew 12:22-37, Acts 17:16-34

Psalm 28:

What do you do when you need strength and protection? Perhaps you are in such a situation this morning. As you look ahead through the day, there are challenges that you are likely to face which appear beyond your resources. There are enemies who are likely to attack you from which you need protection. What do you do?

Learn from David and “call” to the Lord. “To you, O LORD, I call” (28:1). There are times and reasons to call upon other people for help. Perhaps a mentor. Perhaps reading a book or a blog on the issue that you are facing. But the first thing to do, and the best thing to do, is to call on God. This means praying to him. Asking him. Seeking him. How?

In the first two verses David outlines an urgent plea to God for help. Perhaps you can use these words as your own. He is asking that God would hear his cry and answer his request. We sometimes feel it is inappropriate to ask God in this kind of bold way. But a desperate person will pray with desperation. And God longs to hear his people “call” on him. Call on God!

Then in verses 3 to 5, David asks God to judge those who do evil. There are many instances of prayers like this in the Psalms that make us feel uncomfortable. Should we really be assigning our enemies to hell? Remember that the Psalms are a record of “theo-therapy.” They are the language of feelings interpreted by the truth of theology. Sometimes you feel this way. It is not inappropriate to tell God how you feel. That too can help. Better to tell God these things than let them stew inside affecting how you act and speak, bubbling up at unforeseen moments. But remember also that these enemies are not just David’s personal enemies, they are the enemies of God. It is not wrong to desire justice. God is a God of justice. As we become more godly, we will want a ceasing of the ills and abuse and evils of this world. But, like David, we will leave such judging to God and not take the judgment into our own hands.

David concludes with “blessing” to God. That is, he praises God. To bless God is to declare that he is blessed. David so declares because he is confident that God has heard his cry for mercy. The LORD is his “strength” and “shield” (28:7). He is his strength and his protection. And the LORD is the strength of his people (28:8), not just the strength of David. There is a strength and protection that we can find too in God—if we call on him! Which David does again finally:

“Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.” (28:9)

Would you pray that prayer this morning? That is, pray for protection and strength, not just for yourself, but for God’s people as a whole too.